CHANNEL YOUR CHALLENGES

YOU CAN CHANNEL YOUR CHALLENGES TO CREATE THE LIFE YOU WANT...

Those who know me as a businessman, know I really enjoy creating value not only in my businesses, but also in my relationships. My core passion comes from a deeper place, and I do what I do for a bigger purpose. Those who get to know me personally are usually surprised to learn I come from very humble beginnings. 

Growing up, my journey through adversity in my youth was downright brutal. To me, in modern life, it's important to me to finally share (as of 2022) my roots to inspire anyone who thinks they don’t have a chance to make it in life because of how they came up.

Even when circumstances seem impossible/unbearable through your journey, even when life gets so tough to endure, it is 100% possible every time to come out on the other side with a stronger sense of self-worth and a will to overcome.

I was born in the early ’70s— raised by highly educated gifted parents through my formative years. Both my father and mother were professional people, but that gradually took a turn for the worse when they voluntarily forfeited their good lifestyle for a life of drug use, bad influences, and running from the life they created. A series of bad choices with bad affiliations with some very bad people, and illegal dealings seemed to be my parent’s pursuit in life. 
 

I remember life getting tougher and tougher month after month— then, year after year., Our lives became a new nightmare every day— in fact, we eventually didn’t even have a home. We moved from city to city, town to town, living in motels/hotels, eventually ended up on the streets.

My sister MJ and I lived through unimaginable abuse and neglect at the hands of our parents and their “friends.” We became homeless, hopping in and out of shelters— regularly standing in lines for Government-issued peanut butter, bread, and cheese. We became known to local church food pantries. I remember the times we’d scrounge restaurant dumpsters on the nights we were on the streets— just us— we hustled whatever we could in extremely difficult circumstances.  


 Our survival became a method— our way of life… Creating a way to live as kids with nothing. Years of life-threatening situations all around us was entrenched in our mindset. Our circumstances landed my older sister in a shelter and later in a permanent placement foster home, and I ended up in multiple shelters and 20+ foster homes.   Building a life absent of constant fear was all that mattered to me at the time.  
I had to learn fast.

The only way out of this broken life is to do the work... Keep working, head down, keep working.. Who cares about what others are thinking and doing.. I've gotta focus on what I gotta do to work my way out! 

— I'd tell my self this over and over and over ... I realized that if I didn’t take it upon myself to take care of myself mentally, physically, and financially, I would be forfeiting my power to evolve a life of my own.

The minefield and suffocation of these experiences forced me to grow up fast. I pretty much skipped my childhood and was forced to make adult choices, like staying away from the wrong people everywhere I turned— even for help. I learned to leverage the foster system to work for me instead of growing dependent on it and made strides to gain my freedom.

My physical appearance and physical fitness became my main priority. I felt like I had power of my own when I got on my bike, put that cassette tape in, and rode. My bike, and the music I listened to while riding, became my freedom. I grew dependent on it. It kept me going, and it kept me physically fit. And it kept me away from trouble physically and emotionally. My bike and my music got me to school and transformed my ability to evolve as a young man.

With my newly created power, I cultivated relationships with people who could help me— Help me earn money working odd jobs like mowing lawns, selling household items door to door, and running multiple paper routes. 
 Rain or shine, I threw my mixtape in, rode my bike to my part-time jobs, to school, my sports practices, and ultimately to my freedom. 

Even though the sums of all my efforts were incrementally small, I knew what I needed to do— Keep Going. I knew deep down I am making a difference in my own life, and that difference I am working for in myself will make a difference in the lives of others.

I took advantage of the resources I had access to, pushed as hard as I could in school, and even became a student assistant in the library. I remember thinking that I was doing it for someone else by being of service to others, but, in fact, year after year, I was the one gaining all the benefits. I had unlimited access to thousands and thousands of books. My bike rides, my music, and the books I read, all provided the ultimate gift of an escape while opening my mind to the endless possibilities of life.

While the other kids my age were puffing on cigs and joints and slamming beers, I immersed myself in working, music, and reading. I soaked it all in like a sponge, all while planning and working my way out of the hell I lived through. 

I participated in sports; track, football, summer league baseball— I tried it all. I wanted to test my will, challenge myself, and feel a sense of community with other kids who were on the right path. I learned that invaluable guidance resided in my coaches— they saw how hard I tried, they saw my gifts, and they provided me with even more accessibility to tools. They gave me the tools, the access, and the discipline that kept me in shape, both mentally and physically, which made me an even stronger, more real person. 

At 15, I learned I could have even more control over my life when my caseworker recommended, I enlist in an independent living program offered to kids who were ward of the court. I completed the program within months and became emancipated during my sophomore year in high school.  
 

It was now the late 80’s/early 90’s, and I was in high school living on my own. I furnished my apartment, bought a car, and continued in sports. I continued working in the library, subsidized my bike passion and lifestyle by working several jobs. I worked at an amusement park, a health club, and an Italian pizzeria— all of which was an incredible experience and a total blast.  
    

I absorbed every drop of knowledge from working multiple jobs, all while sketching out my entrepreneurial visions.  
I had everything figured out by the beginning of my senior year in high school. I had this “way of doing” that pushed me forward in a way where I had total control— keeping myself on track to take my life to the next level— and a year later, that level was complete. 
 I was determined, with plans to go to college— perhaps even play college football, pursue my interests in sports, and get after my business goals. I had my sights set, and these goals were all in my path.  
 

Unfortunately, my life took another hard turn when I was struck head-on by a car while on my bike. The impact and the injuries I sustained from the impact, ended my life. Serious head trauma, broken neck, broken collar bone, multiple fractured vertebrae, dislocated knees, and life-threatening severe lacerations to my neck and head. 
 Returning to the living, I knew the accident had changed the course of my life and my goals from this point forward.  
 After weeks in hospital care and rehabilitation, and over a year of recovery, I had to let go of my hopes of playing any sports competitively for some time.       

My road to recovery from my injuries was long and hard— I had to completely remodel my mind— I was fortunate enough to have a support system in place, a tight circle of friends, the bike shop, and coaches who were there for me. 
 

I got through high school and took on framing houses while attending classes at the Arizona State University West campus. 
 I struggled in school like I’d never had, and even though I continued to work and continue my rehabilitation— I persisted in working hard to get my physical health back.    

I continued to seek out opportunities to surround myself with successful people, which inspired me further to follow my lofty goals.  
    

By the mid-’90s, I found myself in Washington state, working with a fitness center’s sales team. My work in Washington was short, and it wasn’t long before I relocated to Boise, Idaho, where I created my own fitness business.  


To make my dream come to life, I worked the graveyard shift in a freezer and ran on early morning trash truck routes, on top of doing sales at the gym.   

Hard work and determination became my "go-to." It all soon paid off, and I self-financed my first business in Boise, Idaho— Ultimate Fitness.  
 At 20 years old and with no marketing budget, I decided that the best course of action to grow my business, and live my passion full-time was to go door-to-door to create the relationships needed to build clientele and prove what I had to offer was the best. 

I got the attention of the Idaho Statesman— after they discovered me out knocking on doors for clients— it landed me on the front page of the health section of the paper. They were impressed with my progressive approach.  
 

Who could say, “No,” when my pitch was, “How would you like to be in the best shape of your entire life?” I didn’t realize whose doors I was knocking on. Little did I know that founders and C-suite executives of Fortune 500 Companies, doctors, attorneys, and individuals of influence would all become my clients. They were all prone to high-stress environments and what I had to offer them was a departure from their rigid lifestyle. My mission was to positively change their lives and breathe some youth back into their life— and I delivered that with excellence.    

My client base grew rapidly, and I built my first fitness studio location. My tagline, “Personalized Motivational Fitness” mean't; hear the music, feel your fitness experience and love our life.  I organically shaped my offerings based on what my clients were really drawn to— music, fun, and good laughs… Fortunate for me, I was a good listener and an excellent trainer! I built relationships with the most elite group of people. What I delivered was more than a workout.  

I like to say that I got a master’s in business while working with the master’s in business. The years I worked with so many amazing people bought me the opportunity to be trained in business by some the top business people in Idaho. 

 After creating success in these entrepreneurial endeavors, I wanted more. I wanted to be as successful as my clients. So, I decided to expand and evolve my business pursuits. I sold my businesses and relocated to Los Angeles, California.   

Driven by an idea and my fascination with how fitness and health products appeared in print and television-motion picture productions, I challenged myself to learn how it all worked. I began developing key relationships with leading brands in the entertainment and fitness industries. Product placement was a growing vertical within advertising and production, and I knew I could facilitate the connections between production studios and commercial fitness brands.  By 2000, I was traveling the country, doing research— I hit every major commercial fitness, health, and sports retailer trade show I could attend.    

I immediately landed agreements with household name brands in fitness equipment— such as Bowflex and Nautilus— and support from several major production studios— including Warner Brothers, Sony Pictures, and CBS. On top of that, I negotiated a buy-in from two of the largest print media companies in fitness— AMI/Weider Publications and Robert Kennedy Publications.  
 

Armed with the incredible support, I started my Los Angeles-based product placement agency for health and fitness brands, tasked to strategically place products in TV, movies, and print publications. 
 My spin on an agency was boutique—highly specialized. We attracted companies seeking special handling and customized use. High visibility for their products in print, and to be a part of a broadcast that carefully placed their brand in a context to certain viewer types.  
 

To cover reality television, scripted television shows, and motion picture projects, I forged relationships by providing favors and fitness products to Los Angeles-based talent managers and their clients, who were pro athletes, musical acts, celebrities, writers, and producers. I also hit the prop houses, line producers, set dressers, and producers involved in live productions that were live, funded, and getting made. And I collaborated with other product placement agencies who handled clients in beverage, household products, and automotive brands. 
 

At the same time, in a relatively short period, I ramped up and built solid relationships with the top producers and photographers of fitness content by providing any fitness product in the world.    

My company became one of the primary entities that strategically placed brands in fitness productions, and the world’s leading fitness and health print media publications, including Muscle and Fitness, Shape Magazine, Men's Fitness, Flex Magazine, Muscular Development, Muscle Mag International, Men’s Health, Women’s Health, and Oxygen Magazine.  

Year after year, proving myself in the industry with solid work ethic, my company became the go-to company in Hollywood when it came to staging and outfitting fitness equipment and health-related products in all capacities related to these projects in production.   
 

In over a decade of work within this enterprise, I provided dozens of top brands in nutrition, fitness, and health products with hundreds of millions of televisions, film, and print media impressions. Some are still in circulation/syndication today! 

 In addition to my product placement agency, I developed a few dozen entrepreneurial adventures and products formed from relationships I created in manufacturing, technology, actions sports, production, photography, web development, entertainment, and more.   

I saw no limitations to my personal grown, and my entrepreneurial potential. 
 I got to play an instrumental role in launching several fitness, health, nutrition, and technology platforms, making fitness accessible by mobile and wearable tech.   I developed a team that founded a fitness content production company working with over a hundred brands in fitness, nutrition, and health products.  

I created a line for fitness products designed exclusively for women and formed a team to produce the line and the content, which was co-branded and partnered in a joint venture with Oxygen Magazine.  And I assembled a team to develop early-stage contact wearable heart rate monitor technology. 

  

Since then, I’ve built and collaborated with dozens of ventures throughout the past two decades. I’ve redeveloped business models turned companies into profitable businesses, and set up corporations to take non-new capital.  
 I’ve worked with start-ups, new ventures, private investors, and various capital markets.  

Today, I am a happily married to my wife Carey, she and I enjoy our home and our four beautiful children in Omaha Nebraska. I am honored to serve, and infuse innovation in the healthcare industry, work with a few of my business mentors, and some amazing professionals that are focused on creating opportunity for others to develop a more purposeful life, and find affordable healthcare options. 

I know “SELF MADE” is a popular claim for people to make, but I disagree with that sentiment because no one is "SELF MADE".. 

We are ALL HELP MADE. I am HELP MADE. You, are HELP MADE. All of us are HELP MADE.

I graciously acknowledge the people and experiences that have MADE ME, pushed me, inspired me, and helped me become the man I am today.  And, if you’ve accomplished anything or pushed through the big stuff in life, then you are HELP MADE too! 
   

My experiences throughout my life has allowed me to successfully achieve my dreams, at the same time guide thousands of business owners from many industries and walks of life to unlock their full potential. I keep standing for what I believe, stay grounded, and keep working hard. My psychological triggers have become the good smells, great sounds, and valuable insights from dozens of mentors throughout my career— and all the experiences generated by the many efforts I fused into every action.      

I believe that a healthy and prosperous life can be owned by anyone who is willing to put the work in, make the sacrifices even when life gets bad enough to STILL do good first for yourself and then for others! I infuse this way of thinking into my own family and all the people and businesses I’ve helped over the years.    

CHANNEL YOUR CHALLENGES TO CREATE THE LIFE YOU WANT.  

MY MISSION: Make a measurable difference, work hard, and create opportunity for others.. 

“EASE…IS A GREATER THREAT TO PROGRESS THAN HARDSHIP..” —Denzel Washington